EVERY SATURDAY MORNING we take a look at all the best comments left on the site by our readers over the past seven days.
This week there was a lot of talk about Luas strikes, the homeless situation, and the never-ending story that is the quest to form a new Irish government.
The 6 most popular comments this week
1. The top five comments for this week are entirely dominated by discussion of the ongoing Luas workers’ dispute. Eamonn got 2,764 green thumbs for this comment regarding the news that the strikers in Dublin had been placed on protective notice this week.
Their biggest mistake was striking on Easter Sunday. What sympathy I had is now gone.
2. On the same subject, Rock Stoneballs had this to say:
I sincerely hope transdev have spent all of this time training a new batch of drivers.
That got 1,674 green thumbs.
3. Sympathy seemed to be in very short supply for the striking drivers. Louis Jacob was up-thumbed 1,537 times for his take on the situation.
Luas should start training up new drivers instantly. And let these clowns strike on.
4. Marc Power was of the opinion that the Luas workers should be pointing the finger of blame at their own union. This got 1,394 likes:
5. Finally on the Luas discussion, Mr Grumble had this to say regarding union Siptu:
That got 1,309 green thumbs.
6. Finally finally, given all five comments above are on the same subject, we’ll have one more on a slightly lighter theme. Regarding the story that the company that manufactures Dolmio is to recommend that its pasta sauce only be eaten once a week, Neal Ireland Hello got 1,084 green thumbs for this:
‘At the table, nobody grows old” seems sinister now.
The top 5 articles which received the most comments this week
1. Update: All Luas staff placed on protective notice with immediate effect (367 comments)
2. “I should have told my friend his ‘rape joke’ was inappropriate. Why didn’t I?” (267 comments)
3. All-out strike ‘seriously on the agenda’ for Luas workers as dispute escalates (237 comments)
4. Homeless family forced to sleep in “the stench of vomit” in B&B room (221 comments)
5. No to Enda, no to Micheál: Dáil fails to elect Taoiseach for a third time (210 comments)
Standout comments
During the week Doug Leddin shared his experience of depression in a bid to get more people talking about mental health.
Pat Maher commented:
Lost my brother to suicide last November and have had my own brushes with depression/anxiety, I really applaud your bravery in posting this Doug. It’s a really tough thing to say something is wrong to an individual even harder to do so on a public forum, but it is a taboo that needs to be broken down so those that are suffering can get help before it’s too late and those that would be left grieving if they take that awful irreversible step can be saved that pain.
It’s a modern day plague in Ireland and one very little is being done about, the charities try but are underfunded and largely left to it by the government. It is shameful that so little is being done about something that is killing so many and leaves many more suffering. If you are one of these people please ask for help from your GP (route I took and am glad I did) a trusted friend/family member or one of the charities that deals with mental health issues – get the words out any way you can. You need to realise you can get better and asking for help is a real sign of strength not weakness.
Thanks again Doug
While John Killeen wrote:
This is an inspirational message to send out to everyone. The amount of lives being lost to suicide is terrible and a lot of people need help out there. Hopefully this helps to break the stigma.
Doug himself had this to say:
Guys thanks so much for sharing this. Means a lot to me and hopefully it reaches out to one person and helps them talk to a friend or family. Hope your readers find it positive and can share this story that affects so many of us here in Ireland.
Thank you all for sharing.
Helplines:
A FactCheck story about whether children who are smacked are more successful later in life (we found the claim to be false), prompted some of you to share your own experiences and thoughts on the subject.
just readin wrote:
When I was 12 my father broke a brush across my back, I dont remember what I did to upset him, but I vividly remember the beating …
Peadar Ó Gréacháin commented:
I have never raised my hand to my son, my only child he is 31 in July, and a more honest and caring human being you could wish to meet, you can raise your kids without inflicting pain, if you teach them to treat others the way they wish to be treated, having said that back in the day I got many a walloping, and it didn’t do me much harm but it bloody hurt at the time, and I remember to this day how much, and set out not to carry on that tradition, and it worked out fine.
And Deborah Behan added:
What’s enough? What’s too much? Would you not prefer to get the desired result by a different method (naughty corner, depriving them of their favorite toy, canceling a treat/trip) rather than physically attack the child to let them know who’s boss (which sounds quite juvenile in its self)?
There was a deal of comment regarding the shooting of 24-year-old Martin O’Rourke in Dublin’s inner city this week. These comments relate to an opinion piece by author Frankie Gaffney decrying the term ‘known to gardaí’ in the context of Irish crime-reporting.
Sinead Hanley had this to say on the subject:
You are right Deborah. My brothers were taken out of school at 16 to work in supermarkets because we were poor. They had the opportunity to train as electricians a few years later and my father denied them this chance because he thought we couldn’t afford it. They were devastated. This is the crap you deal with when you come from a deprived background. It wasn’t long before they became “known to gardaí”… it was minor stuff but its very frustrating when you have ambition but no support
Meanwhile, Tweed Cap suggested that a nurturing parental environment is the key to avoiding a life of crime:
I grew up in Finglas in the 1970s and 1980s. Knocking about the streets playing football and watching the stolen cars doing hand brakers and donuts and all of that lark. Some of the lads I knew then went on to some serious crime and it’s fair to say their folks neglected them from the start. Some of them are dead now however others lads from the same area went on to do very well in life. If you’re a parent support your kids, make all the time you can for them be there for their football or whatever hobbies they choose. Looking back I can see now it made a huge difference. A young lad growing up in a deprived area is one thing but if he’s from an unsupportive or broken home the odds are not good. You could nearly tell back then how it was going to play out. That’s my own experience.
There was a discussion about wills during the week and what happens if you die before you make one.
Joe Murphy noted:
Loads of people put off making wills causing a lot of stress on families down the line. If you want a certain person to benefit from your will, then make one otherwise you’ll find out you have relatives you’ve never heard of coming forward making claims. Know of this happening at the moment.
While Allister asked this question:
Is there a box on the form you can tick to have all your stuff buried with you….?
Liam Fahy had this to say after six oil paintings, part of a set of 14 Stations of the Cross, which were reported stolen from the Church of St Peter & St Paul in Kiltullagh, Co Galway in June 2013 were found in Edenderry, Co Offaly on Tuesday:
They are originals painted by Evie Hone – she was more famous for stained glass – very rare examples of her work as far as I am aware. Value is irrelevant – they belong to my local parish – they were never going to be sold – they are part of our local heritage and hopefully will return to where they have been hung for my lifetime and for future generations.
Following the death of music producer David Gest at the age of 62, Trev heff gave this simple tribute:
Rip. Always came across as a funny and honest man.
Meanwhile, Gerry Fitz had this to say after 20 basking sharks were spotted off the Clare coast:
They’re harmless. They feed on plankton and are toothless. Although their skin is like sandpaper so petting would not be advised.
When three biscuit tins full of cocaine were found by customs at Dublin Airport, Uncle Monty made this delicious pun:
Cocainenut creams.
Some people weren’t too impressed by the new design for the Australian $5 bill.
Dave Murray had this to say about it:
It looks like a parasitic infection of the small intestine.
While Mark gave this advice:
Step away from the crayons
Ivan Costelloe went all Cosa Nostra on us with this comment about an escaped prisoner who was located hiding in a dishwasher.
Tonight he’ll sleep with the dishes
Finally, a DailyEdge story on tweets that sum up Ireland’s relationship with Michael Guineys led to Holly Flynn sharing this memory:
My Mam was over on a visit a few years ago before she moved back to Ireland and my gran sent us down to Guineys. We were having some stupid fight about something and she was so worked up that she didn’t realise she still had a roll of blackout blind when she left the shop that she never paid for. To this day she hasn’t gone back to the shop incase someone remembers her for stealing.
See any good comments? Send them to orla@thejournal.ie.
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